December 06 - January 07Fostering,

promoting anddeveloping the

interests of Englishskiers and

snowboarders

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Colorado

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+ Snowsport England newsClub FocusFit to SkiCompetitions

Summer has quickly turned to autumn in thelast couple of weeks and in ski resortsaround the world snow has fallen, quite

heavily in some places. So I am sure yourthoughts have turned to “where are we going totake our ski holiday this year?”

Inside you will find a feature on one of America’sbest resorts, Vail in Colorado. More Britishsnowsport enthusiasts are heading west andfinding the wide open spaces. With the exchangerates currently as they are it makes extremely goodvalue, plus great skiing.

More skiers than ever from the UK took holidayslast year (according to the Crystal Ski Industryreport) and this year looks as though it will show a

big increase again. Snow and dry slopes have noticed an increase in activity, which helps promoteawareness of a sport that combines physical activity, skill and most of all enjoyment.

As many of you know the sports governing bodies have been looking into “Modernisation”, withthe intention of having one body representing Snowsports in the UK. Very recently the three HomeNations Governing Bodies (HNGBs) held EGMs to put proposals to their members on the basis ofwhat was known at this time. Two of these bodies voted against the proposals (Snowsport England(97% against) and Snowsport Scotland (unanimously against)). Snowsport Wales voted for theproposals but with special requirements set out.

The next EGM will be Snowsport GB’s (10 December 06) when the vote for transition to one body,UK Snowsports, will be voted for. The vote obviously will be against.

Where does the sport go now? It is my view that one body must be the ultimate aim of allconcerned, but this has to be achieved for the benefit of snowsports and the membership of theHNGBs, not to continue in its present form with all the political in-fighting that goes on.

A body representing snowsports should do just that, from grass roots to competitive levels.Snowsports is not just about elite athletes, it is about those fighting through the ranks to reach thosedizzy heights, the youngsters, recreational skiers, coaches and instructors – in fact everyone whoenjoys skiing and boarding at slopes around the country and overseas.

Let’s hope progress can be made to achieve this ultimate aim to represent and promotesnowsports in the UK and put the case for more funding from Government.

2 December 06 - January 07THE piste

From theEDITOR

Barry Spouge reports on thehighlights in our latest issue

Published by Countrywide Publications (A division of Micropress Printers Ltd)27 Norwich Road, Halesworth, Suffolk, IP19 8BXTel: 01986 834216 / Fax: 01986 834270ISDN: 01986 874752e-mail: skinews@micropress.co.uk

Published on behalf of SnowsportEngland Tel: 0121 5012314 / Fax: 0121 5856448e-mail: piste@snowsportengland.org.ukWeb : www.snowsportengland.org.uk

All editorial and advertisement copyshould be sent to CountrywidePublications at the above address.

Publishing Director: Barry SpougeTel: 01986 834216Mob: 07802 824120e-mail: barry.spouge@micropress.co.ukPrinted by Micropress Printers LtdTel: 01986 834200

Opinions expressed by contributors in The Pisteare not necessarily those held by the publisher orSnowsport England. No part of this magazine maybe reproduced without the specific writtenpermission of the publisher. While every care istaken to ensure the accuracy of informationcontained in The Piste, we do not acceptresponsibility for any errors or matters relating.

Cover picture: The view from Vail,Colorado - see pages 12-13 Cover photo: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

December 06 - January 07 THE piste 3

Ski instructor John Cook claims to haveproduced a document with all the fundamentalelements of skiing on one page!

The resultant check list has been used by himfor over five years, both as an aide-memoir andas a means of creating a quick record of theperformance of those that he instructs/coaches.

John attended the recent Alpine DevelopmentCoaches' course in Hintertux, where he sharedhis tick list with others on the course andreceived good feedback from the coaches andtrainees alike.

Version 2 (right) has been amended to reflectthe introduction of Flow into the PerformanceElements. John said: “I hope it is of interest andfeel certain that it will be of help to thoseinstructors who are early on the learning curve.”

Single page sums upskiing fundamentals

Members’ concern atmodernisation detailsSnowsport England members considered the paper on modernisation on 18 November.

There was strong support for theprinciples of modernisation and for someaspects of the paper.

However, there were significant concernsfrom Snowsport England members aboutelements of the proposals.

The vote was 22 for the proposals and730 (97%) against.

Members recognised that a tremendousamount of work has been completed to dateand that there are elements in the proposalsthat can and should be implemented.

The following was proposed by North

West Ski Federation and supported byLondon and South East Regional SkiAssociation.

Proposed resolution unanimouslysupported (with one abstention) by themembers present at the Snowsport EnglandEGM:

We fully support the principles ofModernisation as defined in “Investing inChange – the process of continuingdevelopment of a Governing Body towardsgreater effectiveness, efficiency andindependence”.

However, we believe that the proposaltabled today by the existing SteeringGroup is fundamentally flawed in various

areas, will not deliver these objectivesand is likely to destroy much of theexcellent snowsports development whichhas been achieved by the governingbodies and their member clubs over thelast 25 years.

We task Snowsport England Council andBoard urgently to work closely with theother Home Nation Governing Bodies todeliver the objectives of modernisationwithout compromising the continuation ofthis development.

This work is to be started with immediateeffect and a progress report to be deliveredto the Snowsport England AGM in May2007.

Young Benn wins sponsorship and cash grantsEngland Alpine Team member Benn Hall hasagain secured a sponsorship deal with Ski-Force of Lichfield for the coming season.

Ski Force, with shops in Lichfield andStafford, has supported Benn for the lasttwo years, sponsoring his luggage, clothingand equipment, and the continued supportis a major help to Benn.

Benn said: “The costs involved in skiracing are horrendous, and the generoussupport of Ski Force is a tremendous help.”

Benn Hall has also been selected toreceive a SportsAid grant of £1000sponsored by City law firm Eversheds.

Eversheds launched a long term packageto support some of the nation's brightestyoung sports talent.

In conjunction with SportsAid, the firmhas committed to support 12 athletesacross the UK to help them progress overthe next three years. The funding isprovided through SportsAid, the charity forsports people, which has helped the careersof British athletes for 30 years.

The grant follows another award made toBenn this year - the Tim Reader MemorialTrophy 2006 at the All EnglandChampionships at Hemel as the mostimproved Junior Boy Jnr 1 & 2, supportedwith a bursary from the English Ski CouncilSkiers Trust.

Done deal: Mark Secrett of Ski Force(left) with Benn Hall.

4 December 06 - January 07THE piste

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Once you become a member, you will start to receive special TravelClub offers available exclusively to you, but this is not all we do. We areyour personal, telephone/email Travel Agent!! All you have to do is let usknow the details of where you would like to travel to and we will find you aholiday while you work and then either telephone or email you back with aprice! The service you would expect from a Travel Agent, without havingto go into a high street branch! On top of all this, you will receive specialdiscounts only available to Travel Club Members:� At least 5% holiday discount off the cost of any holiday seen in any highstreet Travel Agent.� 10% off worldwide car hire� 10% off worldwide city breaks� 7.5% off worldwide attraction tickets like Walt Disney World, UniversalStudios and Legoland� 10% off London Theatre Breaks. We have tickets for all the top showsin London every weekend!� 7.5% off airport hotels and airport lounges

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THE piste 5December 06 - January 07

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MEMBER offer 2Snowsport England is pleased to offer an exclusive deal tomembers on High Sierra sport luggage. For over 25 years,High Sierra Sport Company has strived to provide the bagsyou need at a price you can afford. Specializing in adventure

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6 December 06 - January 07THE piste

Have you considered becoming a CommunitySports Action Club? One Snowsport Englandclubs did – and saved thousands in businessrates.

Kendal Ski Club in Cumbria became a CASC in2005. “It’s is not an onerous process, andinvolved reviewing the clubs constitution but hassave the club considerable sums of money,” saidformer club chairman Tony Vaughan

It is recognised that sports clubs play avaluable role in their communities. The CASCscheme recognises this role by distinguishingbetween clubs and businesses for rates and taxpurposes, ensuring money is kept in clubs.

Property and non-property owning clubs cansignificantly benefit from the scheme. The keybenefits of casc registration include:� 80% mandatory business rate relief. Localauthorities can offer up to 100% relief to clubs attheir discretion. � The ability to raise funds from individualsunder Gift Aid. A registered CASC can reclaim upto £28 in tax for every £100 donated, though atthe moment this does not apply to all types ofdonations. � CASCs are exempt from Corporation Tax onprofits derived from trading activities if theirtrading income is under £30,000 a year. � Profits derived from property income are also

exempt for CASCs if gross property income isunder £20,000 a year, of particular relevancefollowing the abolition of the nil rate band. � CASCs whose income does not exceed thesethresholds will no longer be required tocomplete an annual Corporation Tax return.

Applying to become a registered CASC is asimple process. Clubs are required to submit acompleted application form to HMRC with acopy of the club's constitution adhering to thecriteria of the CASC scheme.

See www. www.cascinfo.co.uk

The international Interski meeting will take place in Yong Pyong Resort, in South Korea from 27 January to 3 February 2007.

It will comprise three professional,international snowsports education bodies: theInternational Snowsport Instructors Association(the British Association of Snowsport Instructors(BASI) is their UK member), the InternationalFederation (ger. Verband) of SnowsportInstructors (Snowsport England is the UKmember body) and the Internationaler Verbandfur Schilauf and Schulen u Hochschulen, whichdeals with the teaching of skisport in schools.

Among the expected delegates from 35member organisations worldwide will be thestrongest ever British team of representatives,who will showcase latest teaching methods,share the views of other nations and reinforceBritain’s burgeoning reputation in theInternational world of snowsports education.

� Snowsport England would like to thank allmembers who helped at the ski shows, MidlandsSki Club, Warrington Ski Club and ManchesterCross Country Ski Club.

Interski meetingscheduled for S Korea venue

Clubs - be a CSAC andcut your rates bills

January06/01/07 SNOWSPORT

COURSE ORGANISER06/01/07 ALPINE SKI COURSE

LEADER06/01/07 ALPINE SKI COURSE

LEADER

13/01/07 ALPINE SKI COURSE LEADER

13/01/07 APC Level 1 Course 13/01/07 SNOWSPORT

COURSE ORGANISER20/01/07 APC Level 1 27/01/07 ALPINE SKI COURSE

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February03/02/07 SNOWSPORT COURSE

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LEADER17/02/07 SNOWSPORT COURSEORGANISER 24/02/07 ALPINE SKI COURSE

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ORGANISER

SNOWSPORT ENGLAND coursesOlympic skier Antoine Deneriaz (left) with JeffElmore, chairman of Midlands Ski Club.

The Minister for Sport has launcheda national campaign that aims tohelp provide more opportunities andgreater access to sporting facilitiesfor all young people. The YouthActive B Active campaign,developed by Youth Active andfunded by Sport England, aims toencourage more young peoplebetween the ages of eight and 25 totake part in more physical activitymore often. It will also help localorganisations to work in partnershipso they are able to offer more and awider range of activities.

December 06 - January 07 THE piste 7

British skiers get set for world cup season

Finlay Mickel couldn’t wait... “We have had somegreat training this year, mytimes in training have beenvery good and I am reallylooking forward to the firstrace,” he said.

“I am feeling good and very confident andready to go.”

Noel Baxter, who wasappearing on the CrystalHolidays stand at the show(Crystal are one of Noel’ssponsors) was reallyupbeat about the season.

“I’ve been training in the southernhemisphere and it has been excellent.

“I’m feeling really good and lookingforward to my first race in Solden. This willbe a GS race and it is something I have beentraining for to increase my all round ability.

“It will be a tough season, but that’s whatwe train for and I am really looking forwardto the challenge.”

Chemmy Alcott, Britain’smost successful femaleskier, was training in SaasFee when I spoke to her onthe telephone.

I asked her first how herfeet were. She hadundergone risky surgery on her feet duringthe summer.

“My feet are amazing” she said. “I cannow ski without pain, which is what I havebeen doing over the last four years. Thesurgery I had over the summer was a risk,many people said I should not have it, but Imade the decision and it has paid off.

“With no pain I can now focus on myskiing without any pain worries”.

I asked how it had affected her trainingprogramme over the summer. “It hasn’taffected my training. I did plenty of upperbody training and, for a while, I was in awheelchair which is a strange experienceand I did a TV programme based on howdifficult it is for disabled people in the Tube.It certainly makes you think when you arefaced with some situations.”

And how was the Olympic experience? “Ireally enjoyed it and it was a good Olympicsfor me,” she said.

What has your recent training beenconcentrating on? “Mostly skiing. With myamazing new feet I can now focus more onthis now. I have had plenty of skiing.

“In Saas Fee, the skiing is good and theweather is colder so we get good snowfallsat the moment. This is the final run in to thenew season for me, my first race will be inLake Louise and I can’t wait.” she said.

Once again our winter athletes have beenpreparing for one of the toughest sports andWorld Cup race series, confidence is highand, as always, expectations also.

The FIS World Cup will no doubt have itshighs and lows for our athletes but Britain ismaking its mark and even those moreaccustomed to winning are saying a Britcould win a podium place this season.

Let’s hope so, perhaps then we, andgovernment, could take ourselves seriouslyand provide the money needed to help ourfuture young athletes to achieve their goalsand finally put British Snowsports well andtruly on the map.

With a new season under wayBritain’s World Cup skiers werechamping at the bit when BarrySpouge spoke to them at theMetro Ski Show in London.

The all-new Metro Ski and Snowboard Show has claimed a record-breaking 24% increase in showvisitors this yea, and almost 40% of exhibitors have re-booked.

New show features included the Motorola Brand Arena which hosted daily fashion shows attractingRide, K2, Atomic, Head, Oakley, Burton, Zimstern and Salomon to the show.

The Trespass Quarter Pipe saw top UK and international riders perform in daily demos andinternational competitions including the London Ride and Orange Aim Series.

Other new show attractions included the Winter Image Gallery, Ford Mountain Theatre, dare2beTeaching Slope, Crystal Ice Climbing Wall and World Resorts Village.

Plans for 2007 are under way, with ideas in development for more feature areas certain to thrill,inspire and excite show visitors.

Metro show claims record visitors

Adaptive ski team prepares for Vancouver 2010The British Adaptive Ski Team has already set its sights on the2010 Paralympic Games in Vancouver. Following on from asuccessful showing in Turin last March, the team set off for Austriaat the start of November to begin the first stage of a four-yeartraining programme.

The team has already received a grant of £80,000 towardstraining for the Paralympic alpine skiing events from UK Sport, thebody responsible for distributing funds raised by the NationalLottery.

The grant is part of a £6 million package to support WinterOlympic and Paralympic sport up to and beyond the VancouverGames. More than 40 countries are expected to take part in thegames which will last for 10 days in February 2010.

Nina Hasinski, of Redpoint Holidays, who is organising theskiers’ stay, said: “I personally find the athletes who take part inthe Paralympic Games a complete inspiration.”

Nina, who also oversees Redpoint’s adaptive ski programme,added: “They are true athletes who have a real passion for skiing.We feel strongly that a disability shouldn’t hold anybody back fromwhat they want to do in life, and these skiers are proof of that.”

Dave Chugg, organiser and member of the race team,anticipated a productive fortnight.

“While the racers are all part of a team, they are also all verydifferent individuals, with different needs,” said Dave.

“Trying to reconcile all of the skiers’ requirements and get theteam to all be in the right place at the right time poses quite achallenge.”

The Hintertux Glacier is located at the very top of the ZillerValley which is open all year round for skiing and snowboarding. Ithas 89km of runs at all levels of challenge. � See www.disabilitysnowsport.org.uk Or for more informationon adaptive skiing programmes, visit www.redpoint.co.uk

8 December 06 - January 07THE piste

The club, formed in January 2006, was the brainchild of Sharon andAndy Self, whose daughter Rebekah is a pupil at the school inSunderland. As well as helping to raise the profile of school skiinglocally, it was conceived as a more unusual out-of-hours activity forthe children. In addition to the basics, the Ski Club trainingprogramme include ski safety and slalom training which the childrenput to the test in the club’s annual slalom race and local competitions.

Sharon Self said: “Our daughter had been skiing for almost twoyears at the time the club was set up so we knew what a fantasticsport skiing is for children, though we did worry whether there wouldbe enough interest from the other pupils. We were overwhelmed bythe response of 116 applications for the initial 24 places. We nowhave to operate a waiting list for places.”

She added: “Our members are so keen on skiing that we’ve hadenquiries from parents about learning to ski themselves so they cantake their children on ski holidays. We are planning to get a parents’course under way soon. Many of the parents want to get more

Why club captain Rebekah got the

In the news:RebekahSelf talks toBBC frontman MarkClemmit.

School clubproves a hitwith pupils

December 06 - January 07 THE piste 9

involved in the sport so we’re looking into Snowsport Englandofficials training for them.”

Andy added: “Without the fantastic support we receive from theschool, our members, their parents, the instructors and staff atSunderland Ski Centre we would not have been able to make Ski Clubsuch a success. It really is a team effort.”

Ski Club, now sponsored by D & P Trophies of Washington, Tyne &Wear, trains for an hour a week during term time on the dry slope atSilksworth where members are coached by Scott and Craig Ruddickand Martin Stephenson. Once members have learned the basics, theyfollow a training programme aimed at improving their generaltechnique while introducing them to the skills of slalom racing. Thishas proved effective in recent competitions.

Members of Ski Club came away with an impressive haul of fivemedals in their first competition, the Summer Slalom held atSilksworth in June – three golds, one silver and a bronze, which were

presented by Peter Owen and Mike Bell of City of Sunderland RavensSki Club. The winners were Alexandra Earl (11), Rebekah Self (10)and Alexander Lavery (10) who won gold, Michael Cornish (10) whowon silver with Katie Cornish (8) collected a bronze.

After the race, Sunderland’s local newspaper the Sunderland Echoran a story about the children’s success.

Andy said: “When the Echo ran the story on our members after theSummer Slalom we saw it as testament to the children’s commitmentto the sport. They had all worked really hard since January, each ofthem having been awarded a minimum of ‘2 Star’ in the newSilksworth Alpine Awards at the end of term, and we’re confident theywill get higher level certificates by the time of our annual prize-givingat the end of July.”

After Ski Club’s Annual Slalom Race in July, which gave all clubmembers the opportunity to try out their new-found skills and helpedto decide the teams for the ESSkiA Qualifier at Silksworth inSeptember, prize-giving night was held.

Medals from the Ski Club Slalom race were awarded along withAlpine Awards for all the children. Katie Cornish who, despite missingthe first three weeks of training due to a broken arm, madeexceptional progress to take the club’s Outstanding AchievementAward, voted for by Ski Club’s instructors. She is now one of theclub’s fastest female skiers.

Ski Club also said goodbye to Alex Earl who left the school aftercompleting Year 6 – she is now skiing with St Anthony’s School SkiClub in Sunderland.

At prize-giving, Tricia Bevan, head teacher of the school, said, “Thewhole school is delighted with how quickly Ski Club has taken off andhow popular it has become.

“It is fantastic how much the children have achieved in such a shorttime as most of them only started skiing in January. For some, theSummer Slalom was their first competition.

Following on from the success of the Summer Slalom, Ski Clubmembers set about preparing for the ESSkiA National ChampionshipsQualifying race, which took place at Silksworth in September.

Two teams were entered in the Under 12 age group category, withthe girls’ team of Rebekah Self (10), Katie Cornish (8), Molly Curle (8)and Sophie Hyland (10) winning the Under 12 Girls’ race and theboys’ team of Andrew Eagling (8), Michael Cornish (10), AlexanderLavery (10) and Adam Barker (9) second in the Under 12 Boys’ race.

Team Captain Rebekah Self was named fastest Under 12 femaleskier. As a result of the teams’ successes at the ESSKiA Qualifier atSilksworth on 24th September, the Ski Club has just received thenews that Hill View Junior School is being awarded ESSkiA’sAchievement Award for girls.

Since its inception, Hill View Junior School Ski Club has taught 36children to ski and currently has 24 members drawn from Years 3 to 6at the school, with another intake of 12 planned for January 2007.

Look North and Radio 5 Live presenter Mark “Clem” Clemmit arrived tofilm Hill View Junior School Ski Club’s team captain Rebekah Self inOctober, battling 55mph winds at the top of Silksworth’s slope to producea two-minute report which aired as part of Look North’s evening bulletinon 1 November.

The report featured Rebekah showcasing her talents before beinginterviewed by Clem, and included a few words from her instructor ScottRuddick and a very blustery piece to camera from the top of the slope.Despite Rebekah’s best efforts, though, Clem couldn’t be convinced tohave a go at skiing, preferring a sledge instead for the end sequence ofthe piece!

wind up for her TV debut!

CLUB focus: Hill View Junior School Ski Club

December 06 - January 0710 THE piste

Of all the World Cup races, which is the most difficult? “They areall so different with the conditions; Kitzbuhel is one andGarmisch could be really difficult as most of the time it is very

icy and very bumpy; also Bormio which has two phases, December itis very bad light and most time very icy, but by the WorldChampionships it is a little better light and the piste is not so icy.”

I asked about Beaver Creek, with its jumps. “It is one of the greatestdownhills, with all the elements a downhill has to have. In the first part,you have to be a good glider it is so difficult, technical and steep. Everyyear I come back it looks the same – very steep. It has some greatjumps, a really great course ... it’s a course that’s difficult but does notlook so on TV!” The Hahnenkamm looks difficult on TV – is it in theflesh? “Yes, it is also difficult. Chamonix is also a course that looks onTV like a children’s race, but the first part is also difficult, for sure”.

If a course changes during the race before you actually ski it, ifincidents occur at a certain stage and the coach tells you aboutsomething, can you adapt very easily to change? “Yes, it is importantto have a coach who you can believe in; some coaches you don’tbelieve in.

“My favourite course now is Kitzbuhel as I am a winner on thiscourse. Before, it was Wengen because it has great atmosphere withthe Eiger. It’s a special place for me. Kitzbuhel, the atmosphere with allthe visitors is great, but it’s not a sunshine course. In Wengen it’sdifferent, sunny; Kitzbuhel is dark and like hell!”

Do you feel the pressure at somewhere like Kitzbuhel when thecrowd expect an Austrian winner? “No, not any more. Sometimes it isgood to have pressure, I need the pressure, I ski normally fast with thepressure. You see it in results sometimes.”

Then we talked about the Olympics. I asked how he enjoyed them?“It was perfect sports conditions. The courses were great, but allaround the Olympics was not like the Olympics. I have a big fan club, alot of them were in Italy, but it was not so easy for them, especially thewalk down to the finish area. But the sport was really great, perfect.”You were satisfied with a Silver Medal? “Yes, that was also good. Iwant the Gold, but the Silver medal is better than the Bronze,” he said.Maybe in four years time? I asked. “Maybe, but I don’t think so at themoment. Vancouver for sportsmen could be a perfect place and itcould be a great place to hold the Olympics.”

Accompanying Michael for the interview was his daughter Hannah. Iasked did he ski with his daughter? “Yes, last year I skied for the firsttime with her the Monday after the World Cup Finals. I had to ski withmy daughter.”

Would you encourage Hannah to become a World Cup skier? “No,it’s better not. For me it’s at the moment the greatest job I can do.”

How long do you see yourself going on? “For the moment it’s thenext season, we’ll see. For me, it gets harder and harder to go away forthree to four weeks and also for my children. My two boys, Patrick andMathius, not so much at the moment as they are only around one yearold, but for Hannah and me and, hopefully also for Barbara my wife, itis not easy.”

Do Barbara or the children ever come to a race to see you? “No, it’sdifficult. Sometimes it would be great that she is with me, but on theother side I have no time to spend with her as I have to focus on therace. It’s easier when you have a smaller team to have your wife withyou, but the Austrian team is so big and if I have my wife with me andthe other guys have theirs as well it would be difficult.”

How do you all get on as team members? “We are all individuals, wetrain together but we have four training groups: Slalom, GS andDownhill, then WC3 and WC4 group. I am in the WC4 group withracers who ski all four disciplines. We have a great atmosphere in ourgroup, with Hermann Maier, Bennie Raich, Mario Matt, Mario Scheiberand me. It’s the number 1 group!”

What do you think when standing in the start gate? “It’s importantfor me to look around, I take a deep breath and then comes the rightfeeling for me. I just think about the course and about 30 secondsearlier I think about the special parts of the course. Like every racer, we have two or three special words that helps get the greatermotivation.”

Hermann is very aggressive in the start gate? “Not any more, nowhe goes a little bit slower.”

Being in the Austrian team I suppose every day is a bit like being in acompetition to make sure you are still as good as you always were, asonly a certain number are allowed to race. “That also makes apressure. It is just based on the competition. If it is the Olympics whenonly four can race, then it is a really hard fight and there can be hardwords between each other or against the coaches. It is sometimes ahard fight.”

What would you say to youngsters today if they want to become thenext Michael Walchhofer? “I say to them you are young, you havetalent. It is important to fight and have your goal – and you have tohave luck.”

Piste Editor Barry Spouge continues his talk with Olympic skier Michael Walchhofer in his home village of Zauchensee in Austria.

‘You needtalent,youth andplenty of luck’

THE piste 11December 06 - January 07

What do you do to relax, I know you like photography? “At home Irelax with my family in the hotel in summer in the swimming pool. Ialso go on the bike for recreation and I think at every race I have aspecial mental programme. I think it is important to do something onthe mental side as well as the recreational and sometimes it is good todrink a good glass of wine.”

We are about to start a new season, how have your preparationsgone in terms of training so far? “Training for me so far has gonereally well, with my fitness looking good. In New Zealand we had greatconditions and I have a new service man from Atomic who I’m reallyhappy with. My GS skiing is also better than last year’s and sometimesfor me the technical part of Downhill was a problem, so if my GSskiing goes better then also it will be good for me in Downhill. I think itwill be a good season”.

Who do you see as your main competitors? “The sameAustrians: Hermann looks great, then Benni who won theOverall title last year. Svindal could be really fast, Miller has

a great motivation with the new skis. These will be the main ones”.What is your first race feeling like? “It’s interesting to see howthe training was. The first downhill is in Lake Louise, that’s

when the season really starts. It’s always good to do the firstrace out of the way.” You feel confident about the season?“Yes, if it goes on this way my fan club could be happy!”

Do you think a British skier can ever achieve a top placing? “Yes,why not? Finlay (Mickel), I think ,is a great skier. He had a great race atWengen. I think with good conditions and a good coach it can bedone.”

The interview over, Michael invited us to see his collection oftrophies, the Olympic Silver medal from 2006, various crystal globesand the famous Hahnenkamm trophy, a fantastic collection. We agreedto meet again in Val Gardena in December, when he will be competingin the Super G and Downhill, to talk about the season so far, and if wefind ourselves in Zauchensee during March next year the invitation isopen to ski with him.

My view at this stage is that this quiet family man will be a force toreckon with this season. He has a steely determination to win and theOverall World Cup title is his goal.� I would like to thank Austrian Tourism and Altenmarkt/ZauchenseeTourism for their help in arranging this interview. I would like to give aspecial thanks to Rupert and Ingrid Walchhofer for their hospitality atthe Zauchenseehof Hotel.

Michael Walchhoefer: Professional and family man.

All photographs copyright of Michael Walchhofer

xxx.walchhofer.at

12 THE piste December 06

Colorado powder snow is so light thatintermediates can enjoy most runs andVail gets a huge amount of snow over

the winter period, some 30ft average a year.The season runs from the November rightthrough until mid April, obviously subject tothe snow levels.

Vail and Beaver Creek, certainly lived up tothat description. Although quite closetogether, about a 25 minute bus ride, they areslightly different.

VailVail is a huge expanse, with its ski areastretching seven miles from east to west,with bowl after bowl to enjoy it is the largestsingle ski area in Colorado and Americawhich has something to offer all ski abilities.Facing onto Vail Village you have a hugenetwork of trails through woods leading backto the village or many that go throughbeautiful scenic woodland trails to typicalAmerican eating places dotted around themountain.

Colorado has become very popular withthe British over the last couple of years, notjust because of the now regular flightsoperated by Thomsonfly from Gatwick directto Denver. Vail is probably the most popularbecause of its size and because of Vail Villageitself. The village is quite large and attractivewith an excellent range of shops andboutiques to keep any shopper happy plus alively après ski atmosphere.

We stayed on the outskirts of Vail in theCrystal Chalet Cheyenne, where our Chalethost Richard kept us well fed and entertained.The food was excellent, Richards talents as achef ensured we had good wholesome foodto keep us going on the long ski runs eachday. And to cap that there was always afreshly made cake or cakes when we arrivedback weary from the day’s excursions.

A free bus service runs throughout the areaso we had no problems in getting from thechalet to the lifts each day, it was always

regular even if it was packed at peak times.The resort is accessible through three main

points, Vail Village, Lionshead and GoldenPeak, the area covers some 5289 acres andcaters for all, from the advanced through tothe beginner.

Snowboarders are not forgotten either withplenty to keep them amused andopportunities to hone those rail and pipeskills in the Snowboard/Free ride Park.

Golden Peak is the domain forintermediate/advanced riders with both expertand beginner pipes and numerous kickers.

There is even a place for the kids, FortWhipper Snappe,r that will keep themoccupied for hours.

Surprisingly, when you arrive at the base

lift station, it’s always quite crowded but theAmericans have a superb system of dealingwith crowds. It is a system of queues thatfilter into one another with people graduallyfiltering on an alternate basis. No arguments,no hassle and in the end you get through veryquickly. Perhaps Europe should look at this tocontrol tempers in long queues.

When you need a break you’ll find plenty ofplaces to eat or drink – the Two ElkRestaurant at 3420m, Eagles Nest at 3155mwith the highest point being 3430m withanother restaurant to enjoy both the food andthe views.

So if you are looking for a great resort withfabulous skiing and that great Americanwelcome, you’ll certainly find it in Vail.

Everything in America isawesome, or so they say. Well, Barry Spouge is just back – and he says it’s all true! Just awes

6 - January 07 THE piste 13

FACT file

Beaver Creek (BC)A day trip to Beaver Creek gave us theopportunity to see and try this exclusiveresort. BC is world famous because of its,awesome – sorry but it is – “Birds of Prey”World Cup Downhill course.

A frightening prospect for the likes of me,but it is open for anyone skilled enough totake the plunge. A resort not quite as large asits sister Vail it is packed with runs for allabilities.

The pisting is fantastic, those greatcorduroy pistes giving you the best possiblesurface to practise those long carving turnson, and in BC it’s virtually queue-free – quitestrange that more skiers in Vail don’t pop overhere.

The slopes are well accessed by fast chairs,access points to the slopes are at BC Village,BC Landing and Arrowhead Village.

Accessing through BC village you can go tothe left up the Centennial Express Lift andhave runs galore with names such as GoldDust, RipSaw, BearTrap and the like, orstraight ahead up either the Strawberry ParkExpress or Elkhorn Lift to another maze ofruns with names such as Maverick, ElkhornSkiway or Borders Loop.

Go over to Grouse Mountain if you wantthe Black runs with names like Golden Eagle,Ravens Ridge, Screech Owl – not for the fainthearted.

For boarders and freestyle skiers a numberof terrain parks exist. For those just startingout, try the Park 101 then move on to theZoom Room. For the more experienced whoreally want to test themselves, the MoonshineTerrain Park and the Half Barrel should giveyou something to really test you.

On-mountain dining is well covered byBeano’s Cabin, Red Tail Camp, Spruce SaddleLodge or Zach’s Cabin all serving differenttypes of food. Off the mountain the choice isendless, check out the Trail Map for moreinformation.

For those who, like me, enjoy skiing thelong runs through trees with greatviews, you’ll find plenty to keep you

occupied. Runs for all abilities are available,and, for the more advanced, plenty of mogulfields and black runs.

Beaver Creek is certainly worth a day trip ortwo. I found it more exhilarating than Vailbecause of the runs available and the fewerbowls full of powder.

VerdictThis was my first trip to America and, goingby what I experienced, it won’t be my last.

Both resorts have their own ski andsnowboard schools, together with manyshops offering ski and board hire. Ski passesvary in price from around £97 to £286depending on the number of days and theseason. But whatever you pay you willcertainly get great value out of the huge areasavailable.

My thanks to Crystal Ski, Vail and BeaverCreek resorts for their assistance.

Vail – 2006/07 season Opening Day 17 November 2006

Village height 2500mHighest Lift 3430mTotal skiable area 5289 acresSnowmaking 380 acresLongest run 4.8kmLevel of difficulty27% Beginner 33 runs37% Intermediate 61 runs 36% Advanced 80 runsOff Piste ExcellentCross Country 45kmMountain restaurants 10Lift capacity 51,781 per hourNo of Lifts 33 – 1 Gondola

23 chair lifts and 9 surface lifts

Transfer time from Denver Airportapprox 2 hours 30 minutesThe lift pass for Vail covers all lifts atBeaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystoneand Arapahoe Basin.

Beaver Creek – 2006-07 Opening Day22 November 2006

Village Height 2470mTotal skiable area 1625 acresSnowmaking 624 acresSlopes 2285m - 3485mNo of Lifts 16Level of difficulty 34% Beginners

39% Intermediates27% Advanced /

Experts

The piste coding system in America isslightly different to that of Europe, runsare classified as follows:Green EasyBlue More difficult/Intermediate.Black Single and Double Diamonds

– Most DifficultThe ‘Birds of Prey’ racecourse is forexperienced skiers only.

Visit www.beavercreek.snow.com orwww.vail.snow.com Check out the resorts or book your tripon the Crystal website(www.crystalholidays.co.uk) or pick upa brochure from your local travel agent.

some!

14 THE piste December 06 - January 07

New talent boostsAerials coaching Two new coaches have started work helping theBritish Freestyle Aerials Training group.

Alex Youngman and Paul Greaves wereselected for the high level of skills they haveachieved in related gymnastic areas that aretransferable to Aerials. They can support thework in Gymnastic Tumbling, Diving, BioMechanics and fitness that were added into thegymnastic training regime by the Swiss coaches.

Introducing Alex Youngman ...I am a lifelong sports enthusiast after studying

Sports Science at St Mary’s University College,Twickenham. I then went on to train with theYMCA for a year which I enjoyed and benefitedfrom working with a variety of young people.After further training I qualified as an AdvancedPersonal Trainer and studio instructor which ledto work with two of the North West’s top healthclubs Virgin Active and Esporta.

I can use the specialist techniques of biomechanics to assist each athlete in achievingpersonal fitness as required by each of thedisciplines in which they train. I am workingclosely with the Swiss coaches in developingtechniques that provide the strengths that theyrequire, while being able to help each athletemanage their fitness training in line with thedemands of their lifestyles. I will treat all theAerialists as individuals, with programmestailored to meet the needs of each one.

I also run my own personal coachingcompany, Kinetics Personal Training, whichprovides a fully qualified personal trainer and awide range of individualized trainingprogrammes to private clients.

Introducing Paul Greaves ...As a British Gymnastics high performance

coach and former British Team Champion andinternational performer in Trampoline, I have thedrive and motivation to transfer my skills into theBritish Aerials training team to enable them toreach high levels and become elite performers. Irecently won a Regional Young Coach of theYear Award for my work in British Gymnastics.

I am currently a freelance coach and HeadCoach at Abbey Flyers Trampoline Club inSheffield. In five years, I have produced over 80competitive performers ranging form base levelto international performers. I have alsoimplemented a coach and judging educationprogramme with the aim of becoming self-sustainable. To date, we have 21 coaches eitheron or through the programme.

I have a very modern approach to coaching,which enables me to relate to the youngsters andmotivate them. I liaise and discuss coachingtechniques with other coaches and I am alwaysopen to listening and trying new techniques.

Part of the management plan I set up for theAerials was to expand the coaching with supportfrom specialist areas such as Diving andGymnastics.

London Guildhall was the venue for the 2006Olympic Gold Ball, the BOA’s annual fundraisingevent.

The event was supported by Atos Origin (aworld wide Olympic sponsor) and BBC Sport,and the evening was attended by corporate bluechip companies and more than 45 of our bestknown Olympic medallists as well as ThePrincess Royal.

With a spectacular presentation in mind, theorganisers approached British Aerials Training tosee if it would be possible to provide a combinedski and trampoline display.

We set about planning a display that wouldprovide the “wow factor”.

Two of the athletes, Sarah Ainsworth andSiobhan Murphy, were chosen to do both thetrampoline and trampoline with skis display.

Sarah has been training trampoline since shewas five years old and is currently competing atBritish Gymnastics National Grade 1 level, as wellas being the current British Ladies AerialsChampion. Team member Siobhan has beentraining trampoline for the past five years and iscurrently competing at National Grade 2trampoline.

The display, using voluntary routines chosenby the girls, was selected to show the gymnasticability required by Aerials.

Sarah also added a routine with somersaultsand twisting somersaults with her skis on – andthe crowd was stunned at the display.

The setting for the trampoline was on the daisin the Old Library against the back drop of amagnificent stained glass window, below avaulted ceiling.

For more information on British Freestyle Aerials Training, please contact

Aerials ‘wow’ BOA

Excitement was added to the ski shows atManchester and Birmingham by demosfrom Europe’s top Aerialists in both skiingand snowboarding.

The Aerials displays on the indoor rampand airbag landing hill thrilled the crowds.As a complementary part of thedemonstrations Sarah Ainsworth, of BritishFreestyle Aerials Training, joined the team todo displays of gymnastic trampolineroutines and routines with skis on thetrampoline.

Sarah took over two years ago from theman who was known as Mr Salomon, CarlFurrer, who was a world champion atTrampoline and has now retired. He noworganises the demonstrations as well asbeing able to coach Sarah in ski trampoline.

Following the success of the ski shows inBritain (see below) there are two furtherEuropean shows being planned, whenagain Sarah will join the team.

The British Aerials Training team are nowvery pleased to announce new sponsors,

who are providing different forms ofsupport to either all the team or forindividuals. All this help will be invaluable tothe athletes; who have been self funded, asthey move into the snow training andcompetitive season.

Planet Knox have provided valuablesponsorship for the whole Aerials Trainingteam for body protection, as well as alsosponsoring two mogul competitors EllieKoyander and Martin Nanko as part ofAerials.

Team sponsorship has also beenprovided by Eye Level Optical for specialistski glasses.

Before the ski shows Sarah Ainsworthhad personal sponsorship from DragonsFitness Gym (Brentwood) and Snowzone(Milton Keynes); from the shows Sarah hasgained sponsors Ellis Brigham withclothing and Salomon for her skis andboots for the demonstrations.

Another team member Harry Gillam alsogained sponsors from the show. Before theshow, Harry welcomed personalsponsorship from Aedas for his training thisyear. He has now gained sponsorship fromSnowcore for equipment and RivingtonAlpine for equipment.

The team is hoping in the near future tohave support with both skis and clothing forthis coming season.

The British Freestyle Aerials Trainingwould like to thank all the people andcompanies who have offered support andadvice to help them achieve their ultimategoal of the Olympics, by helping in the earlystage of the journey.

Excitement at ski shows asexperts show how it’s done

THE piste 15December 06 - January 07

The display was introduced by Trish Chalkfrom Snowsport England.

The event was planned and organised byGladys Marr (British Aerials Team Manager) andCarl Furrer (former World Champion forTrampoline ).

Sarah and Siobhan were applauded andcongratulated by the guests and Harry Gillam,who was representing the Juniors, was alsointroduced.

The new Aerials team will have athletescompeting at both the Europa Cup and theJunior World Championships this comingseason.

� We would like to extend our thanks to BOASpecial Projects Manager, Ann Blake whose helpwas invaluable.

Gladys Marr (Team Manager) on 0778 643 2730 or at gladys.marr@uk.aedas.com

Spectacular: TheAerials display at theLondon Guildhall,where SrahAinsworth, SiobhanMurphy and HarryGillam took part.

guests

Simon Ashton reports on Ski Cross

Do you know what it is? Well for a start SkiCross is the same as Skier X, it's just thatsomeone that's not FIS owns the rights to thename.

As a discipline there are four (sometimestwo) athletes who start at the top of thecourse – and it's the first to finish who wins.The course is a mixture of turns, berms(steep banked walls) and jumps of variousshapes sizes and distance.

At World Cup youhave to qualify for theknockout stages of top32 men and top 16women by way of atimed run all byyourself. That way theyget the fastest skiersthrough and the mostevenly matched.

Emily Sarsfield and Angus Morrison areBritain's current respective number ones.

Skiers train as intensely as other Alpineevents and, yes, the skis get race-prepared forevery event, and 100ths of a second can beimportant here as well.

If you want to try it in the UK, the AIMSSeries runs Ski Cross events across thecountry, with the British Champs in Laax forthe last couple of years. From there it's intoevents such as Swiss Cups and finally toWorld Cup level. It's now almost certain that itwill be included in the Vancouver Olympics of2010 – and we're currently looking for skiersto prepare for Vancouver.

Getting a-Crossnew discipline

16 December 06 - January 07

INSTRUCTORS NEEDED

Ski-ing Europe will require BASI / CSIA /PSIA qualified ski instructors and

snowboard instructors for the 2006/7 winterseason.You will work alongside our currentteam of instructors and local ski schools forone/two/three week periods teaching ourschool, youth and some adult groups invarious alpine resorts during the peak

school holiday times of New Year, Half Term(mid-February) and Easter, plus some other

weeks. Also required are competent,sociable, experienced skiers to act as

representatives and /or ski friends.A good fully inclusive package will be

offered and you should contact Brian Snooksending a CV to:

Ski-ing Europe, c/o 40 Meadow View,Potterspury,Towcester, Northants NN127PH / E –Mail bks@hgconstruct.co.uk

Tel (mobile) 07976 707041 / 01908542469 (evenings)

Godfrey Spanner, (below) the developer behindSnOasis, explains how skiers can help make the winter sports resort a reality

Winter sports

The plan to create the £350million, year-round winter sports resort of SnOasis in adisused quarry in Great Blakenham, nearIpswich, faces one final hurdle before itbecomes a reality – a Public Inquiry – andwe need your support!

SnOasis received the backing of the localplanning authority Mid Suffolk DistrictCouncil in April this year, but has since beencalled in by the Secretary of State forCommunities and Local Government (Ruth

� ESPN Classic is bringing winter sports fans a season of films from the legendary Warren Millerthis winter. Every weekend, some of the the world's best skiers and snowboarders pushthemselves to the limit in breath-taking locations around the world.

ESPN Classic will be showing Warren Miller Films - Snowriders, Snowriders 2, Freeriders, Fifty,Ride, Cold Fusion, Storm, Journey, Impact & Higher Ground every Saturday at 7pm, from 4November on Sky channel 442.

Konrad Bartelski, head of productionwith ESPN Classic and a former British Olympic skier,said: “When I was eight years old, I went to see my first Warren Miller film in Kitzbuhel, Austria - it

Plans under way for newsnow centre at WycombePreliminary plans for a new indoor snow centre near London havebeen unveiled. The planned Wycombe Snow Centre would replace theWycombe Summit that burnt down following a kitchen fire inNovember last year.

The operators, the Snowdome Group who also own the TamworthSnowdome near Birmingham, hope the dome will be up and runningby 2008. The Snow Centre will incorporate a 100m indoor real snowslope as well as the existing 300m outdoor run.

The new centre would also incorporate an ice rink, restaurants,shops and a climbing wall.

Martin Smith, managing director ofthe Snowdome Group that owns thesite, said: "We aim to create a superb,prestigious and rare indoor snow andice venue in High Wycombe. Thecompany hopes to apply for planningpermission at the end of the year.

The Wycombe Snow Centre wouldbe the sixth to open in the UK and thecountry’s most southerly.

THE piste

pic tocome

THE piste 17December 06 - January 07

IN brief

� It’s been a big year for 15 year oldfreestyle skier, Ellie Koyander. After pickingup Derbyshire Dales Young Sports Womanof the Year award and receiving an awardfrom the Derbyshire School SportsAssociation Awards, Ellie has been selectedas a finalist in the BBC (East Midlands)Sports Awards 2006. Ellie is Britains no1female in moguls skiing.

� Calling all Freestylers … in December andJanuary we now have new dates for mogulstraining at Xscape, Castleford. All thesessions will be from 5-8pm on Sundays 17 December, 14 and 28 January. If you want to take part in these sessions,go to www.freestylesnowsports.co.uk andclick on diary. Further ahead, there will bethe Orange Brits in Laax 10-16 March 2007(see www.aimseries.com for more details)and the British Moguls Champs in Germany23-25 March 2007.

� Freestyle is kicking off at Hemel SkiCentre with a regular Freestyle Ramp night.Specially constructed ramps will be open onthe slope from 8-9pm every Sunday night.Instructors will be available with free tips onboth ramp and flat land tricks during thesession. Rails and air bags are planned forfuture dates. Cost: juniors (up to 15years)£11; adults £12.

� Specialist snowsports company AlpineCoaching is running introductory off pistecourses in March-April 2007. Courses arebased in the Zillertal region of Austriaincorporating the mighty Hintertux glacierresort. Other courses available in 2007include spring skiing on the Hintertuxglacier at the end of May. Seewww.alpinecoaching.co.uk

� Chill Factor has confirmed thatSnow+Rock, the UK’s leading wintersportsand outdoor specialist retailer, is to be theanchor tenant at the North West’s first realsnow indoor ski village, currently being builtfor £31m next to Manchester’s TraffordCentre. Snow+Rock has signed anagreement to lease the 10,000sq ft flagshipunit 12 months before the venue is due toopen. Work has already begun on the250,000 sq ft alpine village, which will openin October 2007.

� A new eight-seat gondola is nearingcompletion at Zermatt in Switzerland whereit will connect the Furi and Riffelberg,further expanding the lift-linked area aroundthe Matterhorn. The new lift will pass fromFuri via Schweigmatten up to the Riffelberg(connecting to the Gifthittli chair lift and theGornergrat railway).

Kelly). The future of SnOasis will now bedecided at a Public Inquiry which will starton 23 January 2007.

SnOasis is backed by thousands ofpeople from across the region and also hasthe backing of EERA, EEDA, EETB, SDA,Ipswich Borough Council, Suffolk CountyCouncil and Somersham and NettlesteadParish Councils as well as national bodiessuch as the British Olympic Association,Visit Britain, Snowsport England andSnowsport GB. We remain committed toour vision for this site and this project, andwill make the strongest case possible at theforthcoming Public Inquiry.

We need your support, and thank you tothose who have already helped us and I look

forward to the day that you can all ski downthe SnOasis slope.

We need to ensure that the planninginspector is fully aware of the extensivesupport for SnOasis, particularly from theskiing community.

If you, your family and friends supportthe project, please write and add yoursupport to the project. You should writedirectly to the Case Officer: Miss SianEvans, Case Officer, 4/04 Kite Wing, TempleQuay House, Temple Quay, Bristol BS16PN� For further information on the SnOasisproject or some pointers on what to say inyour letter visit our websitewww.snoasis.co.uk

resort ‘needs help’

was that film that inspired me to become a good skier. From then on my next inspiration was skiracing, but it was the awe-inspiring Warren Miller films that gave me the initial inspiration.

“I hope that people today still find that inspiration from such an immense collection of stunningskiing footage by some of the world finest skiers, and snowboarders, in some of the worlds finestlocations.”

The deal with Black Diamond also includes ESPN Classic’s co-sponsorship of Warren Miller’s“Off The Grid” UK film tour, taking in over 100 movie theatres nationwide. For full date andlocation information of shows and to book tickets visit www.warrenmiller.co.uk

18 THEE piste December 06 - January 07

You’re always a winner – in the Piste!Congratulations to the following as winners

of the competitons in the October-Novemberissue of the Piste.

Literally hundreds of entries were received,so you obviously enjoy the competitions werun. Congratulations and look out for furthercompetitions in future issues.

The winners are:� MaxSIM Winner of Sony Ericcson MobilePhone – D Davies of Holmes Chapel, Cheshire� Fit to Ski winner – A D Cumming of Baldock,Herts� Connectv Skateboarder game winner –Hayley Lean of Liskeard, Cornwall

And the three winners of the Ski &Snowboarding book are � Mr J Raisen of Melton Mowbray, Leices. � Joe Webster of Driffield, East Yorkshire and � Tim Bary of Hythe, Kent

Well done to you all.

PISTE winners

WIN A COPY OF WHERE TO SKI & SNOWBOARD 2007The new 2007 edition of one of Britain’s leading annual guides to winter sportsresorts is now available, and we have a copy for you to win. The latest editionhas more pages, more resorts, in more countries and with more detail,including bigger and better piste maps.

With over 600 pages detailing over 430 resorts this publication is a must forthose skiers and boarders who checkout resorts throughout the world lookingfor something different each year.

The 2007 edition also sees the introduction of new piste maps for the 20top resorts. Each is printed over a double page spread and has key aspects ofthe mountains highlighted in boxes. Each major resort chapter features photo’schosen to convey the character of the place and a clear layout.

To win the copy of this fabulous publication all you have to do is answer the following question:

How many resorts does the publication cover?

1 Over 43 2. Over 430 3 Over 600

Simply circle your answer and send it back to the followingaddress. Where to Ski & Snowboard Competition, The Piste, 27 Norwich Road, Halesworth, Suffolk IP19 8BX. Entries to reach

us by 3 January 2007If you are not a winner you can get a copy via publishers NortonWood

Publishing (Credit Card Hotline 01373 835208) for only £16.99 (Postage &Packing FREE).

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............................................................................... Postcode .........................................� Send your entry to: Where to Ski & Snowboard Comp. The Piste, 27 Norwich Road, Halesworth, Suffolk. IP19 8BX

Go! is a new series of innovativebook and DVD packages designed fortoday’s sport enthusiast and writtenby some of the most highlyrespected experts in their field.

Each pack comes with a 160-page book that covers everythingyou need to know from the verybasics of your chosen sportthrough to taking it to the next level.

We’ve one copy of each of the ‘GO’ books to give away. All you have to do is answer this simple question..

How many specially commissioned colour action photographs andgraphics are included in the books?Write your answer here …………………………………………….Then send your entry by 3 January 2007 with your name and address to:Go Ski/Go Snowboard Competition, The Piste, 27 Norwich Road, Halesworth,Suffolk IP19 8BX. Name ...............................................................................................................................................Address ...............................................................................................................................................

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THE piste 19December 06 - January 07

The Manchester XC Ski Club annualrollerski course got off to a stormingstart in October (see right).

Twenty five skiers – including a dozenwho had never skied on rollers before, ofwhom half had never skied at all –gathered at the Manchester Cyclesway inChorlton, South Manchester.

They were in celebratory mood: thiswas the largest rollerski meeting in theclub’s history, and the club had just hitthe jackpot with two awards – from theNorth West Ski Federation and Awardsfor All – for the purchase of rollerski gear.

This has enabled Ros Brown-Grant,the inspirational organiser, to expand anambitious annual scheme of training andtouring on rollers.

The programme appeals not only tobeginners and improvers who don’t havetheir own gear but want to try cross-country skiing and improve their skills,but also to more experienced and evenracing enthusiasts who are busy honingtheir techniques.

Great progress is made year on yearas the club’s coaching team – Rosherself, David Painter and Ralph White,supported by guest coaches from theLake District and Yorkshire Dales Clubs –provide regular training in small groupsfor anyone really interested in cross-country techniques.

This year’s beginners become nextyear’s racers, which is just as well as twoof the first timers in October, LauraJones and Kirsty Bamber, are signed upto take part in Polar Challenge – a charityski race to the North Pole – in March!

They will be using hefty boots, wideskis and pulks, so instruction in a sounddiagonal stride is crucial for them andthat is what they are getting right now.

Earlier this year, another member,Toby Young, also skied to the North Pole

and sings the praises of the training hegained on the 2005 summer programme.

Laura and Kirsty and their friends wereexposed to Saturday morning sessionsdevoted to core classic, skating anddouble poling.

In the New Year, as technique andconfidence improve, they will join aprogramme of tours on traffic-free (well,nearly!) good tarmac routes, oftenthrough splendid countryside all over thenorth of England.

The progress they will make,rollerskiing with good equipment, onwell-chosen routes and with good‘coaching on the move’ tips and hints willsurprise them and delight their coaches.No wonder rollerskiing is enjoying arenaissance in the UK at the moment –not least in Manchester.

� Details can be found atwww.mccsc.org.uk or e-mailinfo@mccsc.org.uk

Through the hard work of Fiona Crossley, of the Yorkshire Dales Cross-Country Ski Club (which celebrated 25 years in 2006), SnowsportEngland Nordic acquired a set of race bibs.

These, worth in total around £1600, came thanks to the generoussponsorship of Waymark Holidays, the UK's largest specialist cross-country skiing holiday company, and Ski Bartlett, which supplies a widerange of ski equipment including race hardware and clothing.

The bibs, which conform to FIS regulations and look very professionalcompared to what has been used in the past (tatty cloth bibs, pin-onsquares and even felt tip pen on bare legs), will be used at the different

SSE roller ski and on-snow races, with most of the former making uppart of the increasingly popular British Roller Ski Series.

The Yorkshire Dales club is also very active, not only with roller skiingbut also with other activities such as cycling, walking, kayaking and, notto forget, snow skiing. � Details can be found on www.ydccsc.org.uk or e-mailydccsc@yahoo.co.uk. For information about the British Roller Ski Series,which is made up of races from late spring through to the autumn, inboth England and Scotland, contact Adam Pinney(aapinney@tinyworld.co.uk).

Success for Cross-Country

Club celebrates awards – and prepares for Pole

� Wessex Biathlon Club - set up recently, it'sEngland's first civilian biathlon (skiing andshooting) club. It's led by a former GBbiathlete, and it aims to have a team of homegrown, non-military competitors take part inthe 2007 British Champs at Ruhpolding.

� New rollerski instructors - seven newrollerski instructors became qualified underthe SSE coaching scheme at the end ofSeptember. Coming from five different clubsacross the UK - Lakeland, London,Southampton Uni, Rifle Volunteers andMidlands - they will help develop cross-country skiing across the UK.

� GB Rollerski Series 2006 - 117 competitorsthis year, the ladies title won by Fiona Crossleyof the Yorkshire Dales Cross Country Ski Club.

IN brief

20 THE piste December 06 - January 07

SPONSORSWe acknowledge our grateful thanksto the following organisations whichprovide us with sponsorship.

Thomson is trading name of TUI UK Ltd

Manby International Sportswear

Carrs of Sheffield

WaymarkHolidays

Swadlincote Ski &Snowboard Centre

For Sponsorship Opportunitiescontact Snowsport England on

0121 501 2314

To minimize the chance of injury, and toimprove performance, be sure to performa thorough dynamic warm-up for boththe upper and lower body core, balance,central nervous system and muscle andtendons. Carl Petersen (right) explains

All sports including skiing require quick movements that pass throughmany planes of motion and use numerous joints and muscles at the sametime to accelerate and decelerate the limbs and torso.

Sprints, runs side-to-side, cuts, twists, slides, hops, bounds and quickstops and starts characterize many of our dynamic training activities.

Whether you’re getting ready for the Olympics or just out to play soccerwith your pals, follow this advice for a safe and effective high performancewarm-up.

1) General Warm-Up Start with an easy jog, a fast walk, elliptical trainer, cycle, row or skipping

exercises. Slowly and methodically warming the muscles helps preventinjuries that can be caused by going too hard, too fast and too soon withcold unlubricated muscles and joints.

2) Lower Core (low back, hip and leg) warm-upAdding in some high knees, high heels, skipping,

crossovers and side shuffle steps to improvecoordination and add to the lower core warm-up. Standtall and keep the core muscles switched on like a dimmer

switch.Try doing 2-4 repetitions

x 5 to 10 meters of each.

Fit to ski - high

Always warm-up to playor practise. Don't play towarm up.

High knees: Warm up the

hips with highknees.

High heels:Heels should

come close tocontacting thebuttocks.

Crossovers:Maintain an

athletic stance withhands forward,knees soft and thecore switched on.

“

“

2 2

2

THE piste 21December 06 - January 07

performance warm-ups3) Upper Core and Shoulder warm-up

A proper warm-up prepares the muscles to be used in trainingand prepares the joints for movement and dynamic stabilitythroughout a full range of motion. Try doing 10 repetitions ofshoulder shrugs, arm swings and thread the needle rotationexercises. These warm-ups will help get the correct musclesequence firing, stabilize the shoulder girdle and lubricate thejoints.

Thread the needle:Stand with feet shoulder-

width apart and knees bent,bend torso forward andplace one hand on the knee.Take the opposite hand andplace it through the openingbetween the arm and leg.Next rotate the arm andtorso towards the sky. Do 1to 2 sets of 6 to 10repetitions each side towarm up the spinal musclesand joints.

4) Balance (Ankle, Knee & Hip) warm-upHang on to something for balance andfurther warm up the lower core with leg

swings front and back, side toside and figures of eight.

Try 5-10 repetitions of each.

Leg swings(front and

back): Stand talland keep thecore switched

on while swinging legs.

5) Speed warm-upThe speed warm up helps trigger the central

nervous system for the activity ahead. Do running on the spot "sewing machines" for 3 x 6 to 8 seconds at a medium tempo (60% of full speed). Follow these with 2-3 x "sewing machine accelerations".

6) Muscle and Tendon warm-upMuscles are connected to the bones via tendons acting like

shock absorbers and need to be warmed up as well. One of thebest ways of doing this is to combine ricochet jumps andalternating lunges. Ricochet jumps are done in place as follows: 2 x 20 jumps at personal rhythm and 2 x 20 as fast as possible(short ground contact)

7) Post Training Conform StretchingAfter the training or game, do

some gentle conformstretches to maintainmuscle length and

stretch out muscles that havetightened up. A recent studyshowed that static stretchesbefore exercise did not preventlower extremity overuseinjuries, but additional stretchesafter training and before bedresulted in 50% fewer injuries.

This type of stretch is notaggressive

enough to teartight muscle

fibres. Hold the stretches for 15 to20 seconds just to the point oftension only.

8) Cool Down and Recovery workoutAfter activity use a gradual

cooldown to take thebody back to itsresting state and clearlactic acid and otherwaste products fromthe muscles.

Research suggeststhat light aerobicexercise followinganaerobic training, for

example, sprints might facilitate recovery of forceor speed/power by increasing lactic acid removal.

So, to aid in muscle recovery and reduce postplay stiffness have your clients go for a fast 15 to20-minute walk, spin on an exercise bike with noresistance or do a light pool workout.

Alternatinglunges:

Graduallyincrease depthof lunge (don'tgo past 90 degreesat the knee), and keepthe knee over thetoes.

Ricochets:Stand talland haveshortgroundcontact.

Seated hamstringstretch: Hold the

stretches for 15-20 seconds to thepoint of tension only.

Quadriceps stretch:Stand tall holding

on to something forbalance with footon a chair behindthe body. Bend the standing legslightly until astretch is felt in the quadriceps.

4

7

8

7

3 6 6

� Carl Petersen is a partner and thedirector of high performance training atCity Sports & Physiotherapy Clinics inVancouver. He has written Fit to Ski andco-authored Fit to Play Tennis withcoach/exercise model Nina Nittinger. For more information, visitwww.citysportsphysio.com

Try 2-3 sets of 10 reps.

22 THE piste December 06 - January 07

Airport parking specialis APH has come upwith a no-nonsense guide to packing for askiing or snowboarding holiday. 1 Pack your ski clothing as you would wearit (base, middle and top layer). Avoidwearing your top layer as you could get toowarm in the airport. 2 Work on the principle of one base forevery two days and one mid layer for everythree days. 3 Pack your ski accessories around theoutside of your case. Don't forget smalleritems, like sun block. 4 Don't forget to pack everyday items, suchas jeans, jumpers and evening wear. 5 Decide if you want to take or rent skiequipment. APH offer a pre-booking servicefor ski equipment, this is a great way tominimise excess baggage charges andmaximise your skiing time.

6 If you decide to take your own, check withyour airline on their policy about skiequipment. There’s a great way to combatany current hand luggage restrictions onwww.aph.com/news/excess_baggage_allowances.pdf 7 Often people take too much “après ski”clothing. Unless you are heading for a verychic resort or hotel, winter sports holidaysare often informal and indoors chalets andhotels are usually very cosy. 8 If you pre-purchased lift tickets, lessons,or rentals with APH make sure you have thenecessary piece of paper on arrival. 9 Make a list before you pack – and check itwhen you’ve finished! 10 Avoid the frustration of early flights with an airport hotel available from £59.Book on 0870 7330515 or log on towww.aph.com

Low cost flights plus low cost bus transfers along with ski passes and skirental are available on trips to Italy’s famous Dolomite/Italian Alps resorts onRyanair flights from London Stansted to Verona/Brescia airport

Ryanair sldo flies from Glasgow, Liverpool, London Stansted, LondonLuton and Newcastle to Milan/Bergamo airport. Direct bus transfers leavevia Bolzano/Bozen to the Val Gardena valley (Selva, Ortisei, St Christina) inSouth Tyrol. From Bolzano, local free connecting transfers to Obereggen.From Val Gardena local free connecting transfers to Alta Badia.

In addition, Ryanair flies from London Luton, London Stansted andLiverpool to Venice/Treviso airport. Direct transfers leave viaCortina(Belluno) to Dobbiaco/Toblach and Kronplatz/Plan de Corones inSouth Tyrol.

� Resorthoppa.com has welcomed the new winter season with furtherexpansion of its dedicated transfer service for the ski market, known asSkihoppa.com

Launched in September 2005, Skihoppa has contracted routes to morethan 100 new ski destinations, including expansion into the US throughgateways in Salt Lake City and Denver. In addition, Resorthoppa hasenhanced Skihoppa services through Geneva to the Alps and increasedservices from Barcelona and Girona to the popular ski resort of Andorra.

Skihoppa.com is offering clients gateway-to-resort transfers to a widerange of European ski destinations including the Alps, Austrian resorts,eastern Italian slopes, in addition to the major Eastern Europeandestinations.

IN brief

� Air Canada has introduced the only non-stop flights between London Heathrow andEdmonton. The service will make Jaspereven more accessible for British skiers thiswinter, further underpinning the airline’sposition as the leading carrier offering themost non-stop services between the UK andCanada. Air Canada’s London Heathrow -Edmonton flights operate three timesweekly and will operate on Tuesdays,Thursdays and Saturdays, building up todaily service beginning 1 April 2007.

� First Luggage claims to hail the end ofstressful travel enabling travellers to sendluggage and ski equipment separately, cost-effectively and direct to their chalet, resortor hotel with complete confidence. Luggageis collected from your home or work beforethe day of departure and delivered to yourdestination in time for arrival. Bookingshave tripled in light of the recent baggagecrisis. Prices start at £49. First Luggage isoffering readers a 10% discount onbookings made until 28 February. Call08452 700 670 and quote ‘The Piste'.(www.firstluggage.com).

� Property owners and holidaymakers whoare keen to hit the ski slopes will be able totake advantage of a new taxi service fromSofia airport to their accommodation inBansko. The Sofia Airport Taxi service hasbeen set up by HHB Holiday Homes whichsells and rents property around Bansko. Ithas operated since November, and costs£95 for up to four people including luggageand skis. The service can be booked onlineat www.hhbholidayhomes.com All onlinebookings will be confirmed by email.

� SeaFrance is offering cross-Channel faresfrom £30 each way for a car and up to fivepassengers - with the only luggagerestriction how much will fit in the boot oron the roof rack. See www.seafrance.comor call SeaFrance on 08705 711 711 formore details.

For skiers who prefer to book accommodation and transfers in one,Thomsonfly is also offering a range of ski packages this winter,bookable through the Thomsonfly site by visiting www.thomsonfly.comand clicking on Austrian Ski breaks in the Extras section.

New Thomsonfly flights to Salzburg have beenintroduced for the first time from Gatwick andManchester, adding to services from Coventry andBournemouth. An additional weekly service will startfrom Doncaster on 23 December. Prices start from£19.99 one way, including taxes and charges.

Flights toSalzburgfrom£19.99

Low cost flights and tranfers on offer to the Dolomites

Now take stress out of ski holidaypacking routines

THE piste 23December 06 - January 07

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Send to Photograph Competition, The Piste, Snowsport England,Area Library Building, Queensway Mall, The Cornbow, HalesowenB63 4AJEntries must be received by Friday 29 December 2006Winners will appear in the next issue of The Piste

Competition sponsored by Integrated Handheld Solutions Ltd

HOW TO PICK A WINNER

Place the letter of your favourite photographs in order of preferencein the boxes below.

You could be a winner of a years free membership of SnowsportEngland, if yours is the entry picked from all those received by thedeadline of 29 December 2006.

Enter your winners in the boxes below

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Send your entry with your name and address details

Pick a winner – and win FREE SnowsportEngland membership for a year!Snowsport England’s amateur snappers have been lining up to compete for prizes worth up to £250 in our new photographic competition, sponsored by Integrated Handheld Solutions. Judges have narrowedthe large entry down to a shortlist of six – now we need YOU to make the final choice. Judge the pictures,then fill in the form below ... and you could win a free year’s membership to Snowsport England.

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